Cotton
seed is initially sieved on 3 Seed Cleaners in order to remove
unginned bolls, plant contaminants, sand, stones and any other
foreign material. This cleaned seed is then passed through the first
stage of de-linting which consists of 11 de-linters. It is next
followed by a second stage of de-linting consisting of 22
de-linters, to remove the lint from seed. These linters (both first
and second) are cleaned and pressed into bales, of either first-cut
linters, or second-cut linters.
The
de-linted seed is then passed through a safety shaker for separation
of ferrous material and is fed into five decorticators. The seed is
broken and separated into hulls and meat in this decorticating
section. There can be some quantity of seed which might have hulls
mixed in it and in order to recover the seed from hulls, this
material passes through five hull-seed separators, where the seed is
recovered from hulls. The hulls pass through a series of three
double drum beaters, where meat particles are separated from hulls.
Hulls are collected separately and packed in bags. The meat is fed
to the oil mill with the help of a screw conveyor.